Recessed lighting equipment



Aug. 29, 1950 K. FRANCK Erm. 2,520,596

REcEssEn LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Filed Feb. 1e, 194e 2 sheets-sheet 1 Aug. 29, 1950 K. FRANCK ErAL REcEssED LIGHTING EQUIPMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 16, 1946 ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 29, 1950 RECESSED LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Kurt Franck and Vearl Wince, Newark, Ohio, as-

signors to Holophane Company, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application February 16, 1946, Serial No. 648,131

Claims.

`The present invention relates to recessed lighting equipment and is more particularly directed toward lighting equipment adapted to be recessed in hung or suspended ceilings.

The present invention contemplates lighting equipment for these purposes adapted to be made up in single units of substantially lamp length so that it can be used as a single lamp length iixture or assembled with other similar units so as to provide continuous lighting equipment.

According to the present invention each lighting fixture unit employs a sheet metal reflector having transverse stiffening means adapted also to cooperate with the supports for the reflector, and longitudinal stiffening means which form external finishing strips for the fixture as well as supports for the light transmitting cover. A further object of the invention is to provide suitable yokes or bridging members, two of which may be used with each unit length of lighting equipment and arranged so that the same yoke or bridging member may be used with various types of hung ceiling constructions.

A further object of the invention is to design the fixture and yokes so that when a number of units are connected together end to end, one can employ one bridging member or yoke carried by one unit length for additionally supporting the adjacent end of another unit length of fixture.

Other and further objects will hereinafter appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes of illustrating the present invention, an embodiment in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view on a small scale illustrating a typical continuous installation;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing one end of a unit or installation;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view with parts in section illustrating the other end of the unit or installation Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line #ii-fi of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an exploded view illustrating various parts employed in a single unit;

Figures 6 and 7 are diagrammatic perspective views illustrating additional modes of support;

vFigure is a fragmentary sectional view on the lin'e 8 8 of Figure 9; and

. 2 Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevational viewto show. a detail.

Each unit employs a sheet-metal reector IIJ.

This reflector has a comparatively wide flat top` portion II, downwardly sloping upper side portions I2I2, and lower slightly converging porreinforcements are located between the ends of the box I5 and the ends of the fixture and may conveniently be spaced in the order of 5 inches" from the ends of a 4 foot fixture.

The lower edges of the reflector member are anged outwardly as indicated at I'i and longitudinally stifening strips I8 are welded to the,

edges of the reflector stamping, or the housing and ceiling flange may be integral as indicated at I1 and I8,Figure 8.

The reflector stamping carries at Veach end cross-straps indicated at I9 and 20, these straps being secured in place by screws indicated at 2I. The strap I9 carries iiuorescent lamp holders 22,

three of which are shown in the present case;v

also three starter sockets 23. The starters 24 extend through openings in the strap I9.V The strap similarly carries three lamp holdersI 22'..

v The length of the reflector I8 is such that the lamp holders arevspaced properly for the lamps intended. v v

'The wiring of the xture is readily accom-Hy plished by connecting wires such as indicated at 25 from the ballast to the lamp sockets andinter connecting the lamp sockets and starters by other wires according to standard .and -well known circuit arrangements. A two-lamp circuit or three-lamp circuit may be employed.-

, These wires are held up by sheet-metal hook` shaped members indicated at 2G. The cross-straps I9-29 carry screws 2l which are adapted to receive a cover plate 28. This cover plate is held up by thumb nuts 29 and, closes off the wiring chamber through which the The ends of each unit of e iixture wiring passes. the fixture are closed oil by sheet-metal endA plates 39 l'which are secured to thestamping IIJ= by screws indicated at 39. The end plate, cover, plate and reflector are painted or enameled white` to increase reflection of light. The end plates The box and reiiector member arel bolts 4l which are adapted to pass down through` holes in one of the reinforcements I6, and extend through the reilector stamping lli. The lower ends of these Welded-in bolts receive nuts indicated at 42 so that the fixture body may be hung from the yokes dil. The yokes and reinforce'- ments are preferably made of the same size channel stock and the parts offset slightly, as will be clear from Figure 2, so that a wide range of adjustment may be had without interference of one channel member with the other.

The yokes all have vertical side elementsA 43 adapted to extend down outside the ii'xture bodyl and these are provided with a number of spaced holes AMl, to receive `bolts 45 yby which angle brackets t6 may be secured at Various elevations.

At the vright of Figure 4Y an angle bracket is shown as being employed with the channel ironV runner 4l carried above fur-ring channels 118 em- .ployed for a conventional lath and plaster ceiling il.

indicated at 49. At the left of Figure flthe 'bracket 4-5 is illustrated as used in being secured to the angle iron 5,0 conventionally used with one of the welljknown forms of tiled acoustic ceiling l.

The, all-metal yoke and bracket arrangement indica-ted in full 'lines in Figure 4 may also be used in constructions where it is desirable to secure the `bracket member directly to wood framing members, channels, and various other forms'of construction. It is also possible to employ instead of the metal yoke construction, wooden cross-members 52 as illustrated in Figure 6, these bci-ng secured to the fixture body by suitable bolts. Side `rbrackets 4-6 'may be omitted, if desired,V and the yokes 40 secured directly to overhead channel iron members 53 as indicated in Figure 7.

vWhatever Vmode of support is employed, the

openingfinthe ceiling is made slightly wider than the maximum width of the reiiector and slightly longer so that the reector with associated parts can be passed up lthrough the opening. The crossemembers or yokes have Ybeen previously secured in the proper position and each unit of the x-ture ibody secured 'in place and tightened by the nuts 42 lso as to bring the outer edges of the stiiening strips 1'8 -against the ceiling surface. At the same time theA end members 3i will be brought against the ceiling surface so that the opening .provided for the fixture will be closed and finished off.

The drawings illustrate a light transmitting cover El] in the lform of prismatic plates, four of Y which occupy the same length as a fixture unit.

These Vprismatic plates have side anges l(il which rest on the inner edges 62 of the stiffening strips I8. Y

Where it -is desired to employ the units described above in detail in continuous constructions, the completed lighting equipment employs a suitable number of uni-ts. end Vmembers 3l are used only at the ends, as will be` obvious. One of the units, for instance, the left one in Figure l, will be supported 'by means of two cross-yokes Illl-All, as illustrated. The next fixture unit to the right may be supported The plates and' by a single cross-yoke 40 on the remote end, as indicated in Figure 1 and the adjacent ends of the two units secured together by straps 63 shown more in detail in Figures 8 and 9. These straps bridge the joint at the ends of the reflectors and are secured to the reflectors by screws as indicated at 64. They retain the adjacent ends of xture vunits in alignment both vertically and horizontally and carry the load of the unsuspended left hand of the center unit of Figure l over to the suspended right hand end of the left hand unit. This system of interconnecting the units may be extended throughout the entire length so that after the iirst unit is installed only one briding member need be added for each additional unit. This reduces the cost of materials necessary in the installation and the labor re- Yquired in the installation,

Where concentrated accent lighting is desired one can place at the end of a single unit or between two un-its, a suitable lamp box 65 with proper light controlling equipment.

Since it is obvious that the invention may `be embodied in other for-ms and constructions within the scope of the claims, we wish it to be understood that the particular form shown is but one of these forms, and various vmodifications and changes being possible, we do not otherwise limit ourselves in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A lighting fixture having an inverted sheet metal trough shaped reflector, iluorescent lamp sockets supported at the ends of the reilector and adapted to support fluorescent lamps extending lengthwise of the reilector, transversely extending upwardly open-ing channel shaped reinforcements Welded to the top and sides of the reflector, relatively iixed supporting yokes of inverted channel shaped 'cross-section above the reinforcements and spaced vslightly differently than the reinforcements so that one side of each channel shaped part may `enter into the `opposed channel ,shaped part, and bolts supporting the reflector from the yokes..

2. A recessed ceiling type fluorescent lighting xture comprising an elongated sheet metal housing having a ilat central upper portion provided with downwardly' and outwardly sloping reflecting upper side portions and downwardly .extending 'lower reflecting side portions provided with outwardly extending flanges, longitudinally extending stiffening stripsV secured to the flanges and extending outwardly to engage ceiling surfacing and inwardly for the support of a light transmitting cover, straps extending vacross the upper part .of the housing near its ends, fluorescent lamp holders carried by the straps and projecting downwardly, a sheet-metal cover plate removably carried by 4,the cross. straps -and Iproviding 'a closed, shallow, wiring chamber below the upper portion of the housing, the upper portion of `the housing having an elongated opening, an inverted ballast receiving box .extending upwardly .through the opening and secured to the housing,-a 'ballast f above .the plate and secured in the box, wiring interconnecting the ballast and the lamp holders, rectilinear fluorescent lamps in the 'holders and below the cover plat-e, and a light transmitthe ceiling line and receiving the ends of the trough shaped cover.

4. A lighting fixture as claimed in claim 2, having sheet-metal end plates across the ends of the housing to provide a lamp receiving compartment closed at its ends, and end plate carried ornamental end members extending below the ceiling line and fitted against the ends of the stiifening strips to provide a rectangular opening for the light transmitting cover.

5. A lighting xture as claimed in claim 2, having transversely extending reinforcements conforming to the shape of the upper side portions and central portion of the housing and welded thereto intermediate the ballast receiving box and the ends of the housing.

6. A lighting xture as claimed in claim 2, having transversely extending reinforcements inthe form of upwardly opening channel strips conforming to the shape of -the upper side portions and central portion of the housing and welded thereto intermediate the ballast receiving box and. the ends of the housing.

7. Mounting means for a lighting fixture as claimed in claim 2, comprising fixed transversely extending supports above the housing, rods carried by the supports extending through the housing and threaded at the lower ends, and nuts threaded in the rods for securing the housing in place with the inishingA strips held against the ceiling.

8. Recessed lighting apparatus comprising a plurality of identical units, each unit having an elongated inverted reflecting trough of uniform width, a fluorescent lamp ballast, and iluorescent lamps supported inside the trough and Wired to the ballast, each reflecting trough carrying on its upper surface near its endstwo external transverse reinforcements, straps securing adjacent ends of adjacent reecting troughs together to keep them in alignment vertically and horizontally, transversely extending yokes secured to the outer reinforcements of the end units and to at least one reinforcement of the intermediate units, whereby the units vmay be received in a ceiling opening of width equal to the width of the units and length equal to the combined length of the units, with the ceiling opening occupied by the reflecting troughs, and the row of aligned units may be yoke-supported from a superstructure.

9. Lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the edges of the reflecting troughs carry longitudinal stiffening strips having outer edges spaced and adapted to engage the ceiling alongside the edges of the opening, and the outer ends of the end sections carry cross-members adapted, to engage the ceiling at the ends of the opening.

10. Lighting apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the edges of the reflecting troughs carry longitudinal stiffening strips having outer edges spaced and adapted to engage the ceiling alongside the edges of the opening, and the outer ends of the end sections carry cross-members adapted to engage the ceiling at the ends of the opening, and to extend below the ceiling line, and having dished light transmitting plates carried by the inner edges of the strips and fitted between the end cross-members.

KURT FRANCK. VEARL WINCE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name l Date 2,261,187 Scribner 1 Nov. 4, 1941 2,291,495 Beals m, July 28, 1942 2,309,792 Schepmoes Feb. 2, 1943 2,321,099 Naysmith June 8, 1943 2,332,770 AbernathyY Oct. 26, 1943 2,338,521 Levy Jan. 4, 1944 2,347,113 King Apr. 18, 1944 

